2022-2023 Men's Swimming & Diving Year In Review

Photo by: Jim Agnew

5/8/2023 11:02:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving

NEWARK, Del. – The 2022-2023 Delaware men's swimming & diving program had a record-setting season this past year. Delaware finished 9-0 in dual meets, placed second in the final rankings at the CAA Conference Championship, and set 16 program records. It's their first season in program history in which they won every one of their dual meets, and is their second season ever in which they did not lose any of their dual meets (1928-1929, 5-0-1). Their 156.60-142.50 victory over Towson on Jan. 28 was also a Senior Day win.

Meet-By-Meet
Delaware opened the season with four consecutive victories in dual meets, including resounding wins on their home and season opener on Oct. 8 against UMBC (235.50-63.50) and Johns Hopkins (204.00-89.00). Delaware defeated CAA opponents William & Mary, Drexel, and Towson throughout the season.

During the Bucknell Invite, the Blue Hens finished second with 1332 points, just behind host Bucknell (1,346.50 points). Delaware finished ahead of Davidson (888.50), Fordham (726), NJIT (722.50), Rider (658.50), La Salle (607), and Bloomsburg (425).

CAA Championship
Delaware finished in second place in the final team rankings at the Conference Championships, while head coach Pablo Marmolejo was named men's swimming co-coach of the year and diving coach Ryan Hunt was named co-coach of the year.

Delaware medaled in 13 events, including winning conference championships in the 200 back, 200 medley relay, and 400 medley relay. Currie set the all-time CAA and CAA Championship meet record in the 200 back (1:42.35). Gavin Currie, Toni Sabev, Simeon Sabev, and Matvei Namakonov set the all-time CAA and CAA Championship meet record in the 200 medley relay 1:24.92), while Currie, both Sabevs, and Miguel Vasquez set the all-time CAA and CAA Championship meet record in the 400 medley relay (3:07.92).

Program records set
Delaware set program records in 16 events; 50 free (Namakanov, 20.11), 200 free (Currie, 1:38.18), 500 free (Andrew Taylor, 4:22.41), 1000 free (Taylor, 9:17.87), 1650 free (Taylor, 15:25.31), 100 back (Currie, 46.53), 200 back (Currie, 1:42.33), 100 breast (Toni Sabev, 51.96), 200 breast (Toni Sabev, 1:57.67), 200 fly (Hattery, 1:45.24), 200 IM (Toni Sabev, 1:47.33), 200 free relay (Namakanov, Toni Sabev, Vasquez, Luke Rautzhan, 1:19.91), 800 medley relay (Taylor, Ryan Polino, Jacob Replogle, Currie, 3:38.54), 200 medley relay (Currie, Toni Sabev, Simeon Sabev, Namakanov, 1:24.92), 400 medley relay (Currie, Toni Sabev, Simeon Sabev, Vasquez, 3:07.92), and 1-meter (Kevin Siegfried, 304.50).

All-Conference
500-Freestyle: Andrew Taylor, Gavin Currie
1650-Freestyle: Andrew Taylor
200-Butterfly: Jack Hattery
100-Breaststroke: Toni Sabev
200-Backstroke: Gavin Currie, DJ Fechtman
800-Freestyle Relay: Andrew Taylor, Ryan Polino, Jacob Replogle, Gavin Currie
200-Medley Relay: Gavin Currie, Toni Sabev, Simeon Sabev, Matvei Namakonov
400-Medley Relay: Gavin Currie, Toni Sabev, Simeon Sabev, Miguel Vasquez
3-Meter Dive: Philip Townsend

Postseason
Julia Servas competed in the 1-meter and 3-meter at NCAA Diving Zone Championships. Nicole Chiappa, Cristin Earley, Lyra, Mitchell, Shema, and Tasakou all competed at the CSCAA National Invitational Championship, where Mitchell and Tasakou set program records in the 100 fly and 200 breast and Delaware finished in 23rd.

Academic Achievements
Delaware was selected to the Scholar All-America Team for the Fall 2022 semester. Teams received the honor on the basis of their Fall 2022 team grade point averages and represent 19,426 student-athletes. The women finished the semester with a GPA of 3.13 and Dylan Smolders, Evan Ciecko, Simeon Sabev, and Currie all finished the semester with GPAs of 4.0. Ciecko, Currie, and SImeon Sabev were also named to the 2023 Academic All-District Men's Swimming & Diving Team.

2022-2023 CAA Weekly/Monthly Awards
Siegfried was named CAA Diver of the Month for November.
Namakanov was named CAA Swimmer of the Month in January.
Smolders was named CAA Swimmer of the Week on Nov. 8.
Currie was named CAA Swimmer of the Week on Nov. 15.
Taylor was named CAA Swimmer of the Week on Feb. 7.
Siegfried was named CAA Diver of the Week on Oct. 11, Oct. 25, Nov. 8, Dec. 6, Jan. 10, and Feb. 7.
Townsend was named CAA Diver of the Week on Nov. 15.